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Topic Review (Newest First)

05-30-2013 10:41 PM

MARTINSR

Quote:

Originally Posted by camaroman7d

Ok I follow you on that. I tried to make it clear it's not easy or fun to do. Very easy to make a lot of work for yourself as well if you mess up. Like you said most people would never notice it. I only tried to answer the question he asked and provide input and a visual. On a 68 Chevelle I don't think the drip rails look bad from the factory, on my car I thought they looked terrible and that's the only reason I shaved them. I'm builting a 70 Nova how and I never even entertained the thought of shaving the drip rails on it.

Very good perspective.

Brian

05-30-2013 08:50 PM

camaroman7d

Quote:

Originally Posted by MARTINSR

I am with you, the reason your car is so stunning is you did all those things! I get that, including the drip rails. I just want to make it clear to a possible newbe that it isn't as easy as it seems and that time could be spent somewhere else, that is my main point.

Brian

Ok I follow you on that. I tried to make it clear it's not easy or fun to do. Very easy to make a lot of work for yourself as well if you mess up. Like you said most people would never notice it. I only tried to answer the question he asked and provide input and a visual. On a 68 Chevelle I don't think the drip rails look bad from the factory, on my car I thought they looked terrible and that's the only reason I shaved them. I'm builting a 70 Nova how and I never even entertained the thought of shaving the drip rails on it.

05-30-2013 06:37 PM

MARTINSR

Quote:

Originally Posted by camaroman7d

Brian, I respect your opinion, but I STRONGLY disagree. You have to see the before and after first hand to understand the difference it made. It took it from homely grandpa car to a some what sporty look. I have parked next to stockers and the roof line looks different with the rails removed. To each their own, but I'm telling you there is a much different yet subtle look, which is what I like. If I didn't point it out nobody would ever notice, that's a good thing. Then again it is not a car most people have owned or been around.

The thing you don't see in the pictures is the screw on part of the drip rail that went down the A pillar. A front view of a stocker will show you the difference.

While I agree it wouldn't make or brake the car, it is the little things that make a difference. The goal I had was to make subtle body changes (shaved antena hole, gas door, drip rails, 1 piece side glass, remove the reverse lights) none of those things would make or brake the car, but all done together it makes a difference. Yet people don't walk up and notice that these things have been done.

Just my opinion and how I like to build cars.

I am with you, the reason your car is so stunning is you did all those things! I get that, including the drip rails. I just want to make it clear to a possible newbe that it isn't as easy as it seems and that time could be spent somewhere else, that is my main point.

Brian

05-30-2013 05:38 PM

camaroman7d

Quote:

Originally Posted by DaveWms

Thanks for the input guys.

Great job Camaroman!

Thanks you, just wanted to give you a visual.

I went out and looked at 68 Chevelles (google images) and I don't think you would have any wind related issues, but I also don't think the drip rails look bad on the Chevelles.

Good luck either way you go.

05-30-2013 05:36 PM

camaroman7d

Quote:

Originally Posted by MARTINSR

And there lies the opinion part, your Skylark is MIND BLOWING WILD! And shaving the drip rails did nothing, not one single thing if you ask me. If they were there now, the car would still be the same MIND BLOWING WILD car.

Brian

Brian, I respect your opinion, but I STRONGLY disagree. You have to see the before and after first hand to understand the difference it made. It took it from homely grandpa car to a some what sporty look. I have parked next to stockers and the roof line looks different with the rails removed. To each their own, but I'm telling you there is a much different yet subtle look, which is what I like. If I didn't point it out nobody would ever notice, that's a good thing. Then again it is not a car most people have owned or been around.

The thing you don't see in the pictures is the screw on part of the drip rail that went down the A pillar. A front view of a stocker will show you the difference.

While I agree it wouldn't make or brake the car, it is the little things that make a difference. The goal I had was to make subtle body changes (shaved antena hole, gas door, drip rails, 1 piece side glass, remove the reverse lights) none of those things would make or brake the car, but all done together it makes a difference. Yet people don't walk up and notice that these things have been done.

Just my opinion and how I like to build cars.

05-30-2013 01:05 PM

DaveWms

Thanks for the input guys.

Great job Camaroman!

05-30-2013 12:28 PM

MARTINSR

And there lies the opinion part, your Skylark is MIND BLOWING WILD! And shaving the drip rails did nothing, not one single thing if you ask me. If they were there now, the car would still be the same MIND BLOWING WILD car.

Brian

05-30-2013 12:19 PM

camaroman7d

Brian,

It depends on the car. On some cars it makes a helluva difference. For instance my 61 Skylark, I removed the drip rails and it really improved the look. 99.9% of the people don't realize I shaved them (but then again 85% of the people don't even know what the car is).

As far as rain and wind noise it will also depend on the cars design. With my car the roof and A pillar over hang the door frame, so no wind noise and no water would build up (if I drove it in the rain). Some cars/truck get horrible wind noise if the drip rails are removed. If your door/window/window frame are even with the roof or A pillar there is a good chance you will have issues with wind noise.

To the OP, it is a very tedious job and lots of potential to go wrong. Once you start you are commited, no turning back. It is not something you want to try to do in an afternoon. Take your time and only weld 3/4 - 1" at a time and skip around. Cut a little, weld, move to another area, repeat. I used a portaband and a body saw. I TIG welded mine and it could not have been done with a MIG because the area was so thin with the way my car was designed.

Before:

After:

05-30-2013 11:39 AM

MARTINSR

I have to tell you, you need to be a die hard custom dude to put up with no drip rails. I removed them on my truck when I chopped it years ago, it sucks in the real world with the door being filled up with water and you open it to dump on your head. I am rebuilding the truck and I will be retaining them this time. On your Chevelle, it is sandwiched between the roof panel and the one under it. Not only that but the roof skin hangs out over the lower panel. So cutting the gutter off is a BIG project.

Think about this one long and hard before you do it. It is a LOT of work for very little pay back, does it really "improve" the look of the car? What other custom treatments are you doing that will add to the overall look of the car?

Personally, I don't believe without MANY other serious body mods is it work it to customize a car like that, it just doesn't improve it enough to be worth the work. Look at the photos below of something similar I came upon at a car show. It was stunning, and it took a LOT of work doing MANY modifications to make it walk over and stare at it worthy, you know what I mean? Just shaving the gutters and it would have looked like every other El Camino, is the work worth it?

The photos I took of that car mostly reflect the high level of detail to panel fit and finish more than the custom features. Though interesting, just the fit and finish is what grabbed me about the car, the level of passion was hard to beat.

Unless you really know these cars well you probably don't even know what was done to this El Camino, but a ton of stuff was done, it was a stunningly detailed car, I am always drawn to these cars that ooze passion. This car most certainly oozed passion. But if it was just really nice, a super nice car with ONLY the gutters removed, how much better would it look than one built as well but with the gutters still intact? I don't think that removing the gutters and even a few other mods is worth the work, it just doesn't make a big difference looking at the car. Just thought I would toss out some thoughts on the subject. Spending the time to make a mod like removing the gutters is better spent on pure detail, just making the car better on every square inch, that makes more sense to me.